Help me win a bet, please!

[revolutionary]

Ok, so my mom seems to be under the assumption that one can travel to Japan, with pockets full of US dollars, walk into any retailer, chain or non, and use the dollar as tender for any transaction. I explained that this was probably not the case, and that the dollar would need to be converted to yen. She also thinks that you can use the American dollar to pay for purchases made in the UK, Germany, France, etc, and that getting Euros/ Euro pound is not necessary.

I just need a little information here, as my mom does not believe any article I bring up from Google. Is the dollar accepted by every retailer in Japan, or is conversion to yen required? Does anyone know about how things stand in the UK?

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it!

[chikara]

..... Is the dollar accepted by every retailer in Japan, or is conversion to yen required? Does anyone know about how things stand in the UK? .....

I very much doubt that the US Dollar is accepted by every retailer in any country outside of North America. Those retailers that do accept USD usually do so at exchange rates that are extremely favourable to themselves.

[becki_kanou]

I take it your mother has never been abroad?

While you can generally use USD in the airport (and maybe around some miliary bases in Okinawa???) anywhere else in Japan you WILL NEED yen. And that in cash as well; there was recent discussion about this, but not all American credit cards will be automatically accepted, epecially in the case of attempting a cash advance from an ATM.

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10970
This thread has some information about using cash/travelers' checks/credit cards etc. in Japan.

[revolutionary]

I take it your mother has never been abroad?

While you can generally use USD in the airport (and maybe around some miliary bases in Okinawa???) anywhere else in Japan you WILL NEED yen. And that in cash as well; there was recent discussion about this, but not all American credit cards will be automatically accepted, epecially in the case of attempting a cash advance from an ATM.

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10970
This thread has some information about using cash/travelers' checks/credit cards etc. in Japan.

Ah, thanks! Actually, my mom has been abroad, but that was when she was an army brat well over 30 years ago, and I doubt she remembers things well. For all I know she could have been seeing her parents make purchases on base, and that's why she's confused.

That thread's useful, but I didn't immediately see any posts that dealt specifically with using the American dollar as tender in Japan, and I doubt my mom would read through that. lol

[chikara]

US dollars are the universal currency and American English is the universal language. You and your mum shouldn't visit any country that doesn't recognise that fact.

[revolutionary]

I'm sorry, what was I thinking? I must not be a true red-blooded American.

Mmk, so all joking aside, I'll have her read this so she can learn the way things really are. Mwa ha ha. I'll try to be gentle when I shove this in her face. lol

[chikara]

..... I'll have her read this so she can learn the way things really are. Mwa ha ha. I'll try to be gentle when I shove this in her face. lol

What was the bet for? What do you win?

.... getting Euros/ Euro pound is not necessary. ....

BTW I'm not sure what you mean by "Euro pound". The UK, although part of the European Union, has not adopted the Euro and it is not legal tender in the UK although some retailers will accept them. The currency of the UK is the Pound Stirling (GBP).

[revolutionary]

BTW I'm not sure what you mean by "Euro pound".

Earlier today, I was talking to a customer who came from Scotland. I asked how he was enjoying the current dollar to pound exchange rate and he told me that the pound had become the Euro Pound, they still call it the GBP, but it's technically tied in with the Euro, I think.

http://www.mataf.net/en/forex-eurgbp.htm

*oh, and as far as what the bet's for: I don't know yet. It was one of those "bet you anything" type of deals.

[chikara]

Earlier today, I was talking to a customer who came from Scotland. I asked how he was enjoying the current dollar to pound exchange rate and he told me that the pound had become the Euro Pound, they still call it the GBP, but it's technically tied in with the Euro, I think.

http://www.mataf.net/en/forex-eurgbp.htm .....

I think you are misunderstanding what that forex page means. That is the exchange rate from Euro to Pounds Sterling, ie EUR -> GBP. There is also no such currency as the British Pound Dollar, GBP/USD - British Pound Dollar

Australia certainly isn't part of the European Union and we don't use Euro. Our currency isn't the EUR/AUD - Euro Australian Dollar.

[Mike Cash]

I thought the Australian currency was the Kangaruble.

[JaySee]

Here in Holland the dollar is not accepted anywhere (save for perhaps at some of the extremely touristy shops and at the airport), and I assume the same goes for all of Western Europe. With the recent Eur-Usd exchange rate trends I don't really see why anyone would want any dollars either Although admittedly, I have never actually tried to pay using dollars here, nor have I ever seen anyone try to do so.

[two_heads_talking]

I thought the Australian currency was the Kangaruble.

kangruble is the standard bill note and drop bears are the standard coin..

one can also find a koala or bush baby, but the exchange rate is very very poor for those..

[Oracle]

I thought the Australian currency was the Kangaruble.

A decade or so back when things weren't so good economically it was being called the "South Pacific Peso"..


(but as of today the rate is 96 Australian cents to 1 US dollar and climbing, which will be great for my next US trip)

[revolutionary]

I think you are misunderstanding what that forex page means. That is the exchange rate from Euro to Pounds Sterling, ie EUR -> GBP. There is also no such currency as the British Pound Dollar, GBP/USD - British Pound Dollar

Ok, I see what you're saying, I probably should have read the site more carefully. I've read exchange sites that use a differnt format to show which two currencies they're comparing, but with the names together like that I thought they meant it was one currency. Still, it doesn't change what that Scottish guy told me. I wonder what he meant, then.

[two_heads_talking]

Ah, thanks! Actually, my mom has been abroad, but that was when she was an army brat well over 30 years ago, and I doubt she remembers things well. For all I know she could have been seeing her parents make purchases on base, and that's why she's confused.

If she was recollecting her parents paying for things 30 years ago and they were on army bases,it makes sense that what she was seeing was purchases on base. In fact you can pretty much do everything you need to, without leaving the base. And of course the currency used on US military bases, is the US dollar. Even the laundrymat is US coin driven. (or let me be more specific, those are the cases of the 6 or 7 US Army bases that I have been to while in Japan.)

Now, let's not get too caught up in parents completely going brain dead after 30 years. I clearly remember doing things 30 years ago (age 11) and even many things down to about age 4. before age 4 is a blur. What I am saying is don't discount her memory just because she's older. In many cases, she probably recollects it now better than she did ealier.